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Friday, May 6, 2011

The Spiritual Side of The Royal Wedding

By: Shazia Yousuf

There was a lot of hype about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. People all over the world were excited to witness this fairy tale wedding, which was expected to be full of shimmer and glimmer. Thousands of royal dignitaries attended the wedding and millions of people watched it on their television sets.

It all began with the arrival of the guests, the entry made by the Royal family, and then the majestic arrival of the groom and the bride, the décor of the Westminster Abbey, the designer outfits and jewelry, the buggy ride by the newlywed couple back to the palace and ended with a grand reception by Prince Charles at the Buckingham Palace. All of this was nothing less than an animated fairly tale by Disney studios, mesmerizing all those watching it.

There was more to the Royal wedding than just the enchanting gleam that became the attraction for a majority of people. There were a few things that made it even more special. This wedding was actually nothing more than the wedding of a Man with a Woman. While making vows, the Prince was just William, as God does not differentiate between the royal blood and common blood. This is what made it as special as any other normal wedding!

Some of the speeches that were delivered during the ceremony were worthy of making a note. They were profound and very thought provoking indeed. Heard by millions, made an impact on how many hearts, I wonder.

James Middleton, the brother of Kate Middleton, gave a moving speech and said:

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship….live in harmony with one another: do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly…and… love one another with mutual affection".

The emphasis on presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, living in harmony with one another and associating with the lowly (not too fond of this word though) are reminders to all of us to remember the essence of our existence. Through honest wedlock, we declare to fulfill that which we have been sent here for, that is, living in harmony with each other and spreading this harmony on a broader level.

The Bishop of London spoke beautifully and said:

“And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each other. A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond us. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.”

I was touched deeply by ”…the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul” as it reinforced the very basic principle of life. We need to think beyond us, the center of focus must exist outside our self! We need to believe in the enormous power of giving, a soul enriching act on which all religions emphasize.

The speeches during the royal wedding ceremony were worth listening to and they added a grace to the Royal occasion. They conveyed the true essence which each and every individual must never forget in their everyday lives.

This is what we have been preached, and this is what we are supposed to practice; if only the glimmer and shimmer of this world does not bedim the true essence of our existence.